Electroplating apparatus.



No. 888,068. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

J. T. DANIELS.

ELEOTROPLATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29.1907.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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No. 888,068. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. J. T. DANIELS.

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29.1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR'.

ATTORNEYS l no seaoesl .To all whom it mag concern."

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JO N DANIELS, oF

nnnc'morrsrme nrrmivrus.

B 'it known that I, JOiIN T. Drums, citizen of the United States, residing at Newark,

in the countyof Essex and State of New .Jer-. sey, have invented certain: new and useful Improvements in Electroplating Apparatus; an I'do here declare the followin to be a full, clear, an exact description 0 the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make'and use the same, reference being had tothe ac.

.companying drawings, andto characters of Y reference marked thereon, which forrn 'a part '11sv provement's in electroplating apparatus;

of this specification. 1 This invention relates, generally,- to i111,-

and, the invention has reference, more particularly,"to a novel contact or cathode-element for use with the revolving drum, cylin der or basket known as the -container, in which'various small articles which are to be electroplated are placed.

Inelectroplating apparatus which are pro: vided with revolvin containers for, the recptionof such sma articles, that "a more perfect electrical contact may be made with. the surfaces of such small articles, and at the same'time to also stir up such small articles. and cause them to change their positions with relation to one another, contact or cathode-elements, the ,form of bars .or rods, were loosely mounted upon the centrally dis posed shaft or spindle o the container. The

'objection to these cathode-bars is that in view of the greater body-portion of each bar being r' id, and being ooselypivotedupon the she t of the container, the rigid bod portions of said cathode-bars will be direct y upon the upper surface of the bulk of articles tering between the said articles, there y in 7 man instances within the container, instead of readil en producing a very poor electrica contact. i r

It is therprim object of this invention to overcome this o jection,-a'nd the principal object of my invention is to provide cathode elements, having such novel proportions, qualities and capacities, as to im rove and increase their contact with sai 1 articles, thereby facilitating, 'economizing and im proving their electroplating.

A further object'of the/present invention is to/provide an electro latingapparatus of the eneral character ereinafter set forth whic shall be of a simple and efiective eon Speeification of Letters Patent. Application. cream 29, "1907. Serial No. 885,988.

epanying drawi s, in which [Figure 1 is a ongitudinal verticalfsection of one formfielectro latmgepparatus', and 1 struction, and in whjh p'ositiv a i v NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, issrenon TO THE HANSON avian WINKLE; "COMPANY, A CORPORATION or N W JERSEY. v I I late'nted m 19, 1905..

fect electrical contact is made with the small 5 articles which are-to bepl ate'd. I attain this' object by lmparting to said cathode a flexible medial portion, and, 'referably, also,

at their free ends, a relative y rigid portion} offsuch sufiiciently greater relative weight as toinsure itsremaining, durln rotation of the drum or container, within,-an covered b the mass 'of said articles, such terminals t er'e-' fore functioning'analogously to sinkers.

By means of my novel constructionisjinfsured -constant embedding due friction therewith or resistance to rave desirable friction and resistance, or,v when of the cathodes within the mass of said articles, without 70- lution of the container and with sup riority;

of contact as compared to previousl ployed rigid cathodes which, when ri id :cured near the axis of rotation deve op un- '75 loosely secured, tend to 'remain ,su' erim' posed on the surface of said mass'wit com-= 5 parative loss ofdesired contact, 7 a v w The invention is illustrated in theacco'in one form ofrevoluh e container, drum or cylinder, mounted upon alsha ft or pindle,

said view illustrating in elevation, a number. 0t flexible contacts or'cathode-elements em bodying the principlesof this invention; Fig; '2 is a transverse section of details taken on line 22 insaidrFig, '11, said-view Being ade on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3 isaiff slde-elevatmn, on "an enlarged scale, ofo'nef of the said cathod'e elements.

Similar characters of reference are em;

played in all of theabove' descrlbed viewsflx to indicate corresponding parts. d

Referring now to the drawings, which illus ()ctbber 11, 1904 to Willis R. King, 1 is the 5 is one o the two usual and similar 'anode teners, as '6, and are connected by means of jtratej one well known type of electroplating: ap. aratus, such for 'instance'as is describe 1n S. Letters Patent No. 7 7 2,102 granted tank-comprising base 2, sides 3 and ends 4.

7 bars from which the anodes 5 are suspended on either side of the drum or container 8.

the. connector 7 with thewirelfwliich con-Q nects with the positive terminal of an electricv generator. 'n

Them s. tr articles s? s placed. within I rotatable in bearings 11- of removable suspension frame 'having members 12 removjablyengagingwith and supported by rods "13 secured to and ezitending across tank 1,

andthroughconnector13 and wire 13 connected with the negative terminal of an. electric generator.

Shaft 9 is driven from a shaft member 14 by any convenient power,

' weight or sinker-portion 19, a coupling porpositing the metal from the anodes upon the said small articles of manufacture.

,a separate connection between said shaft and member-being made, in this instance, as per said Letters Patent to King.

My'novel-c'athode members, or elements,

are loosely andmovab combined with and supported 'by'fshaft 9 rom which they depend. They comprise, in this instance,. a

tion com rising ring, oreye, 16 loosely encircling s aft 9, and an intermediate flexible portion, in this instance a section of chain 18, the up er link of which 1s COIIILGOtBdgWllih aneye or ook-shaped part 17 of a stem or rod 15,thereby loosely connecting 15 with 19 as shown. During the rotation of the drum, the articles to be-electroplated are tumbled about" Within said drum, constantly exposing new surfaces, and making efficient contact with the weight or sinker-portion 1 9 of the cathode-- member.

It will be understood that I donotconfine myself to the particular form of construction of cathode element thus shown nor to its loose connection, my invention extend;

' ing broadly-to any flexible cathode used in Combination with a drum or container, and also to any'such fiGXlblB cathode comprising, near its free end, a portion of .such- Weight and size, as to insure its remaining embedded within the body of the mass of articles also be understood that my said cathodes may, ,With equal effectiveness, be supported by and upon a sleeve surrounding said shaft in cases in which the drum is separately rothe container, thereby pulling the member 15' and the chain into and through the pile of articles, and thus insuring a positive and perfeet contact at various points with the small articles, While the container is being revolved, and resulting in more effectively de- Iclaim: 1. In an electroplating apparatus a tank adapted to c-ontain an electroplating solution, a rotatable container means to support said anode within said tank, a cathode element com rising a flexible. portion. and, at

said container in saidtan, means. torotate j said contamer, "an anode, means to support its free en a part heavier than said portion, and means tosupport said cathode. with n 1 said container.

2'. In an electroplating apparatus a tank adapted to cor'itain an electroplating .solution arotatable container, means to support 1 I said container in said tank,' meansto rotate said contalner, an anode, means to support said anode within said tank, a cathodezele ment com rising, a flexible portion and, at

its free on a part heavier than said portion,

and -means to. loosely "support said cathode f within said container.

- 3. In an electroplating apparatus, a tank I or vat adapted to conta n an electroplating solution, a container'in said tank, a'shaftf upon which said' container is mounted, and cathode-elements, each element. com rising a short member provided with "an eye oosely arranged upon said shaft, a heavy body-.

member, anda flexible connection between said body-member and -said short member,

substantially as and for the purposes set.

forth. i l

4. In an electroplating apparatus, a tank or vat adapted to contain an electrosplating solution, acontainer in said tank, ashaft. v uponwhieh said container is mounted, and

cathode-elements, each element comprisi a rigid short member provided at .one e11 with an eye loosely arranged upon said shaft,

said short,mem'ber being provided at its 0 posite end with a flexiblechain, and a Weig t secured to said chain, substantiallyas and forthe purposes set forth. r within the drum during rotation. It-will 5. In an electroplatingapparatus, a cathode element comprising at its free end a' sinker connected therewith 'by a chain.

6. In an electroplating apparatus, a'eath I ode-element comprising a heavy bodymember, an eye-shaped member adapted to, I

be arranged upon a shaft, and a flexible chain arranged between and connected at its respective ends with said two members.

7. In an electroplating apparatus, a oathode-element. comprising a short rigid mem ber provided atone end with an eye for the arrangement thereof 'upona shaft, a heavy bodyanember, and a flexible connection be-' between and connected at its respective ends with said two members.

9,. In an electroplating apparatus, a oathode-element comprising a short rigid member provided at one end with an eye for the arrangement thereof upon a shaft, said rigid member being provided at its opposite end lug with which the other end of said flexible connection is connected, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. In an electroplating a paratus, a cathode-element comprising a short rigid member provided at one end with an eye for the arrangement thereof upon a shaft, said rigid member being provided at its opposite end with a hole, a chain having its one free endlink loosely arranged in the hole in said end of the rigid member, and a heavy bodymember provided with a erforated lug with which the other free endink of the chain is loosely connected, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of July, 1907.

JOHN T. DANIELS.

\Vitnesses:

G. L. FELDMAN, B. F. PIERSON. 

